When UN Secretary-General U Thant requested U.S. military equipment for UN operations in the Congo, his request included an item that didn’t make much sense.
Fidel Castro Reports on His Meetings with U Thant after the Cuban Missile Crisis
In a TV interview in Havana on the evening of November 1, 1962, Cuban Premier Fidel Castro provided a detailed account of his meetings with Acting Secretary-General of the United Nations U Thant, who had been in Cuba for two days of talks in the immediate aftermath of the Cuban Missiles Crisis. It includes a long section where Castro reads what is purported to be a transcript of one of their meetings.
U Thant’s Appointment as Secretary General of the United Nations
U Thant was officially appointed Secretary General of the United Nations on November 30, 1962, meaning he could drop the “Acting” prefix that he had borne through his important role in the resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis.